100 Yen Shop Guide – Smart Shopping for your Life in Japan

For foreigners and Japanese alike, 100 Yen shops are the go-to place when it comes to small household and DIY tasks.

100 Shops and where to find them

100 shops are probably the next most ubiquitous shops after convenience stores in Japan. For tourists, they offer quirky gifts and for everyone living in Japan, they provide everyday essentials all at just 100 Yen a piece. Whether you are moving into a new place, redecorate, or want to fix something, 100 Yen shops are the place to go. The biggest chains you will encounter are Daiso, Can Do and Seria.

Daiso

Daiso is the largest 100 Yen shop chain with over 3200 stores across Japan. They carry over 70,000 products, adding over 500 new items every month. This should give you an idea just about how much variety you can expect at 100 Yen shops.

Seria

Seria comes in second with 1550 stores. At their shops, you can find many cheap but stylish items and an extensive DIY section.

Can Do

Third in line is Can Do with more than 1000 shops across the country. They all have slight variations in variety and design, but most things you can get any 100 Yen store.

A quick search for one of the shops above or 100円ショップ in Google Maps will point you to the closest store.

What you can buy at 100 Yen shops

Especially when moving into a new place, 100 Yen shops can be a literal lifesaver.

From trash cans to towels, there are all sorts of small items most of us never really thought to put on our “to buy” list. Here a stroll through a 100 Yen shop quickly lets you gather the pieces. With a budget of 5,000 to 10,000 Yen, you can get everything you need to make your new place feel like home.

1. Living&Interior

Slippers, pillows, small rugs, picture frames, book stands, storage boxes in all shapes and sizes. Once you have your big furniture items, you can get almost everything to furnish and decorate your house at the neighborhood 100 Yen store.

2. Kitchen&Dining

Glasses, plates, silverware, knives, food storage boxes, cooking utensils, forms to turn rice and nori into cute shapes. The only thing for your kitchen you might not find at a 100 Yen shop are pots, pans, and electrical appliances.

3. Bath&Toiletries

Cheap towels, soap holders, Japanese-style bathroom stools, razors, cotton pads, toothbrushes, simple bandages. For basic bath and beauty products look no further.

4. Cleaning

Dish sponges, detergent, laundry items like nets and hangers, shoe polish, buckets, brooms. With 100 Yen shop items, you can do laundry, wash dishes, clean windows and fight mold.

5. Fashion

For 100 Yen store fashion, think socks, underwear, belts, neckties, tote backs, scarfs, gloves and whatever small items you might need this season.

6. Electrical accessory

Extension cords, cable binders, adapters, a new cover for your phone, CDs and CD cases, headphones. If what you are looking for are basic accessories or a cute twist on things, you are in the right place.

7. Hardware

Hammers, duct tape, nails, wooden boards, a patch kit for your flat tire. If you do handicraft tasks or repairs around the house, 100 Yen shops are a inexpensive way to find the items the necessary items.

8. Stationary

Notebooks, pens, folders, scissors, business card holders, tapes, stickers, calendars, envelopes, pencil cases, sushi-shaped erasers, you name it. Aside from standard items, they carry a lot of things for DIY projects around the house, you can even get together a knitting set.

9.Cosmetics

Lipstick, to cremes, hair pieces, and nail stickers, the full range of cosmetics is covered. Apparently fake eyelashes are a top-selling item at 100 Yen shops.

10. Seasonal Items

Whether its decoration for Christmas, ingredients for making chocolate at Valentines, or makeup and disguises for your Halloween costume, the 100 Yen shop allows you to keep up with all tides of the year.

11. Japanese Goods

Japanese flair for your room, or presents for friends and family back home, paper, fans, Japanese-style tableware, charms, paper umbrellas, handkerchiefs, and more.

12. And more!

Fried bean snacks and ramen, gardening tools and flower pots, pet supplies and fishing hooks, card games and toys, balloons and confetti for the next party.

Is everything really 100 Yen?

Most items at 100 Yen stores you can buy for the price the store name indicates plus 8% taxes, at 108 Yen. Some items, however, will come with a slightly higher but still very reasonable price tag.

A fair warning in advance, don’t be surprised when you walk out of a 100 Yen store with things you never intended to buy but now are convinced you cannot live without. You wouldn’t be the first who stumbled upon a nifty item, that was just to cheap to resist.